JCC Students Attend Leadership Symposium at UNL
By Shelley Moles on November 17, 2014
Johnson County Central High School students Roberto Silos, Jesse Reyes, Alejandra Rojas, Jesus Castor and Samuel Saldivar were invited to attend the Latino Leadership Symposium at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus on Wednesday, November 12, 2014.
JCC students Alejandra Rojas, Roberto Silos, Jesus Castor, Samuel Saldivar and Jesse Reyes
More than 600 students were welcomed to campus by UNL Director of Admissions Amber Williams. Following a big Husker welcome, she introduced the keynote speaker, Joaquin Zihuatanejo. Joaquin Zihuatanejo is a poet and award-winning teacher. Born and raised in the barrio of East Dallas, Joaquín strives to capture the duality of the Chicano culture in his work.
Joaquin Zihuatanejo – Keynote Speaker
Always honest, his work depicts the essence of barrio life, writing about a youth that existed somewhere between the streets of the barrio and the dream wanderings of a boy who found refuge in a world of stories and poems. Joaquín has been called by critics, “one of the most dynamic and passionate performance poets in the country, melding equal parts comedy, poetry, and dramatic monologue into a crowd-pleasing display of verbal fireworks.” One JCC student remarked, “He was awesome, I got goosebumps just listening to him.”
JCC students Jesus Castor (left) and Roberto Silos (right) with keynote speaker Joaquin Zihuatanejo (middle).
Students were divided to attend small group sessions. This allowed students to interact with students from other schools about the central theme for the day: Love. The morning began with the session titled: Loving Your Community. Students listened to how community offered friendship, security, and support and then discussed the importance of community and explored their role in the community. Students were encouraged to find community at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln by being involved in campus groups.
Following the first session, students ate lunch in the UNL dining halls. The afternoon began with the session titled: Loving Relationships. This session allowed students to explore the power of loving relationships including relationships with a significant other, friends, parents, family, classmates and even neighbors. In small groups students discussed common issues in their lives and explored how to develop meaningful relationships.
The final session was titled: Loving Yourself. This session offered “real talk” about what it means to have self-love as a man or woman and how loving self is a key ingredient of happiness and success. Before leaving for the day, students again assembled for the closing ceremony by UNL Admissions staff.
It was an inspiring day at UNL. Congratulations to Roberto, Jesse, Alejandra, Jesus and Samuel!
Jesse Reyes, Roberto Silos, Alejandra Rojas, Samuel Saldivar and Jesus Castor - Go Nebraska!